In the maintenance of underground telephone and other electrical transmission lines it is necessary to connect electrical test equipment and other type equipment into the lines at spaced intervals for various purposes, such as, locating a short, a damaged section, and for other purposes. "Pedestals" located approximately a mile apart and containing wire closures, relays, repeaters and other test elements are used in connection with this maintenance. The pedestals are stake or pole mounted. With the stake mounted type no pole is required, although a stub pole is often set adjacent the stake for added support.
Pedestals for underground electrical transmission lines, which often pass through extensive ranching areas where animals, such as cattle, sheep and pigs are present, must be protected from animals scratching or rubbing on and damaging them. Devices for guarding against animals rubbing against various elements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,923,858; 3,362,115; 3,400,503 and 3,611,651. A disadvantage of prior art guard devices for protecting electrical pedestals against animal contact is that the guard elements are not removable to permit access of workman to the pedestal.
The protective or guard devices in the patents referred to above take the form of barbs or pointed devices protruding outwardly from a support which is attached to the object to be protected. In the protection of pedestals to which workmen must periodically have access, the protective device interferes with such access. Therefore, there is a need for a removable guard device for pedestals, stub shafts and other post-like support devices.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an animal guard assembly for electrical pedestals and support elements for them which is an effective guard against animals rubbing or scratching against them and in which the barbed structure of the assembly can be readily removed to permit access of workmen to the pedestal or support member and replaced in operative arrangement after the work is finished.